Adding Content

How do I add a tab and add stuff to this page? I have several items on my personal google page that I think we might want students to have available like, daily history, top stories, dictionary.com.

Each user can actually add whatever "gadget" content they want (so long as the web filter doesn't block them while at school). Once you're logged in, you'll note a little "Add Content" link in the upper left, but this has to be done by each user. The "Start Page" is customized by the Administrator (Jeff), and it's for all users. Once users learn how to add RSS, XML feeds through this "Add Content" link, then anything that provides a feed using that technology (and it's growing quickly) can be added. This "customization" ability is built into Google Apps, nothing I can do about it. I thought long and hard about this, and came to the realization that we can try to control all we want, but if we don't engage them online with tools they are or will be accustomed to having, then we'll lose them. They will simply go to their "more preferred and customized" portal/interface. The fact is they can get to this "other stuff" with about two clicks anyhow, no matter what we try to control.

Does this concept make sense? What Google, MySpace, You Tube, and others have learned with Web 2.0 technologies is that the ability to engage is what gets people coming back. If we water it down too much, then students will know it, won't engage, and what difference will it make then? The trick then becomes how do we get them to put the technology (same technology can be used for good or bad) to use for the good. Make sense?

I will go ahead and add the "dictionary.com" gadget to "Custom" - users can add it to their customized panels (middle and right column - I control the left side) by going to Add Content, selecting Custom and then selecting Dictionary.com.